1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a knee airbag device mounted on the steering column of a vehicle.
2. Description of the Related Art
A knee airbag device mounted on a steering column of a vehicle is described in, for example, Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2008-114609 (JP-A-2008-114609). In the knee airbag device, an inflator (gas generating means) is disposed transversely with respect to the axial direction of the steering column, and is located closer to the rear of the module case 22 as viewed in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle.
Generally, the knee airbag module is installed in a steering column cover before it is mounted to the steering column. In addition, the connector of a wire harness that extends from the steering column is connected to a connector at one end of the inflator.
Where the inflator is mounted transversely as in the conventional example as described above, it is deemed necessary to connect a sub wire harness to the end of the inflator, or provide a workspace between the end of the inflator and a side wall of the steering column cover, for example, through upsizing of the steering column cover, in order to improve the efficiency and ease with which the wire harness is connected to the inflator.